


Roar Little Lion Cub

by BasicallyAnIdiot



Category: Naruto
Genre: And grumpy, BAMF!sakura, But he's really old, GG!Tobirama, Gen, GrumpyGrandpa!Tobirama, Senju!Sakura, Tobirama lives!, Unreliable Narrator, Weekends with Grandpa, soon to be - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23545249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BasicallyAnIdiot/pseuds/BasicallyAnIdiot
Summary: There were other ways Sakura would rather spend a sunny afternoon than with her great-grandfather. Usually.
Comments: 446
Kudos: 1318





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this came from. I should be working on the long awaited next installment of the Fun!Vampire AU or the Family Dinner Night series. Or, you know, homework. 
> 
> Instead we have yet another Senju!Sakura. But hey, at least in this one she gets to actually hang out with Tobirama. I don't normally write Tobirama and I haven't seen his episodes in the anime so we're just kind of winging it. There may be more depending on how things go. 
> 
> Enjoy!

**Roar Little Lion Cub**

Her grandfather’s house loomed. It shouldn’t have been possible for a single story house to loom but in all the years Sakura had been coming here it only ever seemed to grow in size. “Do I have to do this?”

Mebuki clucked softly. Sakura resisted the urge to hide behind her mother’s jounin vest; her mother often joked it was a bad fit on her, but it seemed well-tailored to her form. “You’ve been visiting your grandfather for years, Sakura.” Her smile seemed pinched, “He’s really not so bad.” 

‘ _Yes_ ,’ Sakura thought to herself as her mother stepped aside and nudged her forward, ‘ _but now I’m on a genin team with an Uchiha, and he hates Uchiha._ ’ She shifted. The perfectly manicured path to the front porch felt like miles. “You’ll be back soon right?”

“In an hour.” Her mother confirmed, a hand gently squeezing Sakura’s shoulder. “Be good.” Then she was gone, vanishing in a swirl of leaves. 

It was ten steps to the front porch, through blood ward lines and barriers that hid the residence from interlopers, enemies and wayward academy students. Cutting through an immaculate yard with perfectly trimmed plants and weaving stone paths. Sakura could linger, but that would just annoy her grandfather and he’d be grumpy for the entirety of her visit. Well, more grumpy. 

The knocking was custom. As was letting herself in, taking off her sandals and heading straight for the kitchen to make a pot of tea. Anything to kill a few minutes of the remaining hour. She filled the ceramic pot with hot water to warm it, and filled the old metal kettle with cold water and set it on the stove. Her mother once brought her grandfather an electric one with different temperature settings for a birthday. Sakura had found it in a box once when she helped clean out a closet. 

She pulled the kettle before it came to a boil. Green tea tasted bitter if boiled water was used and Sakura rather not have to endure more silent disappointment than what she was likely to receive over her genin team. Grabbing two mugs and a small wooden tray she padded her way towards the study. 

Pausing a moment, swallowing softly, Sakura opened the door and slipped in with a quiet, “Grandfather. I brought you tea.” 

Her grandfather was hunched over at the low table in front of the open sliding doors, overlooking a view of the garden, a scroll bigger than she was unrolled over it filled with tiny script. Seals or some other project then. His shaggy white hair was even more ruffled than usual- whatever he was working on was giving him trouble then. Great. Absently he waved to the smaller table beside his. 

Maybe this would be one of the visits where they didn’t have to talk at all. That would be nice. Sakura set the tray down silently. Folding her legs under her into seiza position, she poured one cup of tea and set it down close to her grandfather, but not on the scroll he was working on. Then poured herself one. 

The quiet lingered. Her grandfather took a sip of his tea absently, hand steady today. With his good health, it was easy to forget he was her mother’s grandfather and had been around since before the founding of Konoha. He had always been ‘grandfather’ though. 

Sakura kept her focus on the large oak in the center of the yard. A tribute she knew, for her great-grandmother who disappeared during one of the wars. Another oak, slightly smaller than the first lingered near a corner, honeysuckle bushes planted around it. That one had been planted for Sakura’s grandmother, who died on a mission gone wrong but managed to give her team enough time to make it back to the village. Mebuki had been seven when that happened, and had been taken in by the grumpy man Sakura was sitting beside. Compared to that childhood, an hour every weekend was bearable. 

“Kunoichi don’t fidget.” 

Sakura winced at the murmur, and stilled the finger tapping her mug. Looking down into her mug, she watched the ripples in the tea slow to a stop. “Apologies, grandfather.” 

He humphed softly, and grumbled, “Don’t apologize. Move with intention.” 

Fifty minutes. Only fifty minutes until her mother would return and Sakura could leave. Then she could do more research into that genjutsu Kakashi-sensei used on her. The sight of her teammates dying- she clenched her mug tighter. 

Her grandfather grumbled again, adjusting the scroll he was viewing. “What is bothering you?”

Sakura flinched, “Nothing, grandfather.”

That response did not have the desired effect. He looked up from his scroll, and red eyes as sharp and intelligent as any shinobi Sakura had met regarded her carefully. Time had weathered him, but considering he was pushing 90 he looked closer to 60. Wrinkles had formed into crow’s feet and exaggerated his neutral expression into a scowl. Faded tattoos lingered under his eyes and chin, once red now pink against impossibly pale skin. He humphed again, and turned back to his project. “If you must lie to me at least make it believable.” 

Forty minutes. Just forty more minutes and she would be free of this obligation for another week. She should tell him. He was family. It wouldn’t be that bad. It wasn’t like he could do anything about it. “I, uh, I graduated from the Academy.”

The response was rapid. “You’re too young to graduate from the Academy. You have to be 12.” 

Sakura swallowed hard, clenching her fists. “I am 12, grandfather.” 

Her grandfather looked up again, this time scowling. He regarded her more closely, focusing on the red band of her hitai-ate. Hands disappearing into the sleeve of his dark yukata. “A forehead protector is meant to go on your forehead.” 

Her cheeks warmed. “Forget I said anything,” Sakura snapped. She stood up, grabbing her empty mug and the tray of tea. Her mother would hear about her behaviour, and then there would be a lecture- but a lecture was infinitely more preferred than spending yet another sunny afternoon inside with a grumpy, old man who didn’t even remember how old she was. Hell, he probably didn’t even remember her when she was there. 

Worn hands settled on both her shoulders- shit she had forgotten how fast he could move when motivated- and held her still. “Sakura.”

She shrugged out of it, careful not to jostle the tea too much. “Let go of me. I’m going home.” 

The hands dropped away, but still her grandfather hovered behind her. “I would rather you stay and tell me about your genin team.” 

Something dark and spiteful clawed into her as she mocked back, “If you are going to lie to me at least make it believable.” 

Her grandfather made a sound she had never heard from him before, almost wounded. She considered looking back to see, but the kitchen lay ahead and Sakura wasn’t bringing the tea tray home with her. Softly, he said, “I deserved that.” The floor creaked a hair as her grandfather shifted on purpose, as if letting her know he was backing away. “If you want to leave, I won’t stop you.” 

Sakura scowled, and charged towards the kitchen, not bothering to close the door to the study behind her. Her movements were jerky as she dumped the tea and cleaned the mug with roughness masking as vigor. Why did her mother make her come? 

Setting the clean mug on the drying towel, teapot beside it, Sakura took a breath. Framed by the window still, she watched birds flirt through yet another oak, part of a trio planted together. She knew why her mother made her visit- her grandfather was the last of his generation. Family was all that he had left and, soon, Sakura would be on the mission rosters like her mother and free time would be tight. She was incredibly lucky to have met the man before he passed.

Gritting her teeth, she started the kettle again and repeated the tea-making process. 

The study door had been left open and her grandfather had resettled at his table. He regarded the sunlit garden ahead of him, framed by the open doors, foregoing the scroll laid out in front of him. She wasn’t sure he had even noticed her return until he said, “You are very kind to an old man to come back.”

Sakura scowled, using her foot to slide the door shut. She padded across the polished wood. “Yeah, well, I only get to see you once a week.”

He glanced at her as she set the tray down at the smaller table, perplexed. “You may visit whenever you please, Sakura.” She frowned at that. It had never been offered before. Her grandfather saw her expression and exhaled quietly. With a hand, he gestured to the spot on the floor beside him at his table. Sliding down into a sitting position, Sakura went to tap her finger against her leg but resisted, aborting the motion. 

Quiet filled the study room for a long moment. Then her grandfather took a sip of his tea and with careful movements rolled up the scroll he had been working on. Swiftly tying it closed, he set it to the side. “So. You graduated from the Academy.” 

“Yeah.” She should say more. What else was there to say? “The final test was easy.”

Her grandfather chuckled softly, his stern expression relaxing to something softer. “For you, I imagine it would be. Were you assigned to your genin team?”

Sakura nodded, pink hair bouncing, and pressed her lips lightly together. 

He shot her a side-glance when the silence stretched, “Are you going to tell me who is on your team or do I need to go snooping?”

Her fists clenched in her lap. Her hands were going to be aching tomorrow. “Promise you won’t be mad?”

“Why would I be mad?”

“Because one of them is an Uchiha.” 

The quiet before had nothing on the startled silence in the room now. Risking looking up, Sakura met her grandfather’s eyes. He was always hard to get a reading on, but it was almost like- like he was sad. Or disappointed. She wilted under it, fears confirmed. 

“I have been remiss in your education.” Her grandfather finally admitted. “I had… concerns with the Uchiha clan, but they have proven themselves integral to the survival and growth of Konohagakure.” He shook his head. “They are hotheaded idiots at times, but loyal.” 

“So… you aren’t mad?”

“No, but it takes three genin to make a genin team so there is still an opportunity.”

Sakura fought to hide her smile. “My other teammate is the class dead-last, Uzumaki Naruto.”

“Humph. Your sensei?”

“A jounin, Hatake Kakashi.” 

Her grandfather went quiet again. This time thoughtful. Sakura could just about see the gears turning as he reviewed what she had told him. Her mother, in a rare moment when she felt like talking about her family background, told Sakura how, in his time, her grandfather had been involved at the highest levels of the village. She had always said it with a twist of her lips and Sakura had never known how to interpret that. “Would you like to learn a new skill, Sakura? Consider it a gift for graduating.” 

She blinked, “Sure.”

“Come. We have much to cover and only half an hour until your mother returns.”

~*~*~*~

Mebuki arched both eyebrows when she saw the state of her daughter as Sakura trudged out of the house, sandals squishing with each step. “Do I even want to know?” 

Sakura wringed out some water from her hair. “Grandfather taught me water-walking.”

“You’re supposed to learn tree-walking first?” 

“Oh. We did that too.” Sakura gestured to the leaves still clinging to her clothes. “Grandfather told me if I can nail water-walking he’ll teach me something else. And I have to do some reading. We talked about chakra affinities a bit but I want to know more.” She paused, tilting her head, heedless of the pond mud on her cheek, “I think he really just wants me to beat Sasuke-san in a spar. Preferably when he can watch.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Roar Little Lion Cub**

**Chapter 2**

It said something to the week Sakura had that she was actually looking forward to spending an hour with her grandfather. He at least wouldn’t disappoint her, not when she didn’t expect much beyond stunted silence and scoffs of disbelief. A small part of her couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, this weekend would be like last weekend. Sakura tried to quash the hope every time it reared its head, recalling years and years of awkward visits.

She had practiced water-walking every morning while her team waited for Kakashi-sensei. Falling in so often her red qipao was left to the side by the second day as she stepped onto the river. It was hard; everytime she had it figured out, the river current would shift or change and her foot would slip if she didn’t adjust fast enough. Into the water she went, only to pull herself out onto a bank and try again. The boys never bothered to join her- always too busy fighting and getting into scuffles. She wasn’t even sure they noticed what she was doing.

It was also the only training she did. Kakashi would show-up, announce they were to report to the Hokage Tower for mission assignment, and then vanish again. Team 7’s on-going struggle with time always led to being assigned the worst missions among the D-ranks. No escorting or helping merchants. No, Team 7 got all the dirty work of cleaning up dog poo and painting fences or chasing that gods-forsaken cat. 

The moment the mission had been reported completed, Kakashi-sensei would vanish in a puff of smoke. Naruto would start yelling at the empty space where their sensei had been or, even worse, start yelling at the Hokage and yet somehow not ending up in jail. It was hard to tell who was more embarrassed when that happened: Sakura or everyone else in the room. 

She still wasn’t sure what was going on with Sasuke either. He rebuffed any attempts at team bonding, vanishing back into the arms of his clan as soon as he could. Even with her grandfather saying he didn’t actually hate the Uchiha, a part of her twisted with the idea of stepping into the Uchiha Compound. Warnings of genjutsu, blood red eyes, and hypnosis flared in the back of her mind and she could never get past the gates. 

Sakura completed the weekly tea ritual, using the subdued earthen tea pot instead of the ceramic one. Padding along the hallway to the study, she knocked once, slid the door open and stepped inside. “Grandfather, I-” Her announcement hung unfinished in the air. He wasn’t there. The study was immaculate as always, low-tables cleared and no wayward personal touch to be seen. The doors to the garden were open, however; Sakura frowned at the sight.

Setting the tray down, worry building, she hurried out to the garden. Her grandfather was _old,_ Mebuki so often reminded her, one of the oldest people in the village. Everyday he got up was a blessing- and one that wouldn’t always come. A trip or injury at his age could be life-ending. 

Rounding a bush she stopped. Her grandfather sat poised on the bench under an oak, the one for her great-grandmother, cane in hand as he regarded the still waters of the large pond. The same one she trained on last week, a pond so large it was practically a lake. He glanced at her, alive and well, and arched a single white brow. His yukata wasn't even ruffled in the wind. “Where are your sandals?” 

Sakura flushed. The cool of the stone beneath her bare feet suddenly chilly. She hadn’t even thought- visions of a crumpled body on a stone path suddenly fleeing. “I, uh-”

Her grandfather snorted softly. “Go get them.” 

She didn’t need to be told twice. By the time she returned, she had managed to pull herself together. If she pretended the last few minutes hadn’t happened perhaps her grandfather would too? Coming back around, Sakura bit her lip and stood quietly on the path. 

Her grandfather didn’t disappoint. “Good manners will get you killed. Always wear your sandals, even inside.” 

“Yes, grandfather.” She shifted on her feet, “You weren’t in your study.”

“Hmm. It is a beautiful day.” He leaned back, bones creaking, regarding her carefully. “How was your week?”

Sakura blinked in surprise. “It was-” disappointing? A waste of time? “-a week.” She finished lamely. “We’ve been doing D-rank missions. But I’ve been working on my water-walking.” 

“Oh?” Her grandfather almost seemed surprised- and pleased. “Have you mastered it yet?”

She slumped, looking away. “No. Not yet. I’ve been having trouble.” 

“Ah.” A more neutral expression crossed his face. “Show me. Let us see if we can find out why.” 

Memories of splashes and drenched clothes came back. Sakura hid her grimace by turning away to the water. Holding her breath, she stepped on the surface. Her foot stayed put. Exhaling, she took another step. Aside from the gentle bobbing, it was as easy as walking on land or up a tree. Her feet were steady under her. “Huh.” 

“It doesn’t look like you are having trouble.” Her grandfather mused, standing up. He shuffled over to the water’s edge and kept going. The water didn’t even ripple. Coming close, he regarded her carefully. “What happened?”

Sakura took a few more steps, bobbing gently but never sinking. “When I practiced on the river at the training grounds, I kept falling in.”

“River.” Her grandfather repeated, red eyes framed with crow’s feet blinked slowly at her. “As in moving water?”

She didn’t look up, too impressed with being able to stand and move without splashing. “Yeah. I could stand for a little bit, but eventually I would fall in.” It took her a moment to identify the sound, light and airy. Laughter. Restrained laughter. 

Glancing at her grandfather, Sakura took in the sight of a gentle smile and the shake of his shoulders. “Sakura.” He began after a moment, mirth colouring his tone, “Moving water is one of the most difficult surfaces to walk on and requires constant adaptation. It is not what I would recommend a beginner like you attempt.”

He gestured with his cane to her feet, “That you were able to stand on a river at all is a credit to your skill with chakra control.” 

Her cheeks felt warm under the praise. It wasn’t like when her Academy instructors told her she did a good job. This felt different. Like something earned. “Oh.”

A weathered hand ruffled her hair, sending her pink locks all over the place. “Watch closely, then see if you can repeat it.” He moved slowly, lifting his cane up behind his back out of the way, gliding over the water in practiced motions. One foot was always in contact with the water. It was chakra manipulation alright, Sakura mused, a careful application of it at that. Instead of sticking like she had been learning, it was a controlled slide. 

Her grandfather was in no hurry, almost lazily gliding around, but it wouldn’t have taken much for him to speed up. A little more chakra, slight changes to the stance for more effective strides, leaning over to cut the wind- oh yes. That could be a very effective way to move on water. Could she go fast enough to make waves? Splash an opponent and provide a moment’s distraction? 

Sakura considered the matter a hair longer before applying chakra to her feet. The motion was weird, like nothing she had done before. It felt wobbly. 

“Keep the leg you are gliding on under you,” came a quiet instruction, “Learn the motion slowly. Speed will come later.” 

She slipped a bit adjusting her foot, falling into the water with a splash. Sakura surfaced with a growl, treading water. Her grandfather stopped in front of her, both hands on his cane in front of him. “Are you going to get up?” 

“I usually just swim back to shore.”

The scoff was expected. “You won’t always have time for that. Find an alternative.”

He was right. She knew it. Biting her lip, Sakura applied chakra to her palms and slammed them against the water’s surface. They hit and stayed, and she pulled herself back up. Drenched, but upright. 

“Inelegant, but effective.” Her grandfather conceded, “You’ll get better with your recoveries with experience.” 

“Oh,” Sakura shook out her hair. A hair tie wouldn’t be amiss for these sessions. “And how would you do it?”

He smirked at her, then fell straight down into the water without a splash. Sakura gaped, oh her mother was going to kill her if her grandfather got a cold- 

A stick rapped her on the head. Yelping in surprise, Sakura whirled, a hand on her head and the other clenched into a fist. Her grandfather seemed serene as he brought his cane down to his side. He didn’t even look wet, Sakura noted with narrowed eyes. Glancing at the spot where he fell in and back at him, “How did you do that?”

“Master water-walking and I’ll consider showing you.” He nodded to the calm surface behind her. “Again.” 

She gritted her teeth and tried again. Still wobbly, her leg muscles protested the strange movement and burned as time went on. “How long do I have to practice?”

“Until it is perfect,” her grandfather replied from the center of the pond, “Then long enough for it to become a habit. Watch your stride- it should be a smooth motion.” They kept at it, or Sakura kept at it while her grandfather pointed out every flaw he could find, until finally she could pass muster to his critical eye. She flopped back on the water, cutting her chakra to just float on the surface, breathing hard. 

Funny. It was the most hands-on training she had since she became a genin. “When you practice, tell your jounin-sensei you need a watchful eye on your stride. It is still not smooth enough to be efficient.” 

Sakura blinked, tilting her head back into the water to peer at her Grandfather. “Why would I tell Kakashi-sensei that?”

Her grandfather regarded her with a frown. Sakura fought the urge to curl into herself and stayed still. “Who supervised your training?”

“No one?” She winced as the frown turned into a thin line of disapproval. That had apparently been the wrong answer. 

Her grandfather was quiet for a long moment. He closed his eyes and shook his head once. “No more training alone. Your jounin-sensei should be supervising you until you find a training partner. If he is not available, you will train here. Am I understood?”

Well, now what was she supposed to do for three hours every day? And come here? Everyday? To the disappointed frowns and sighs? Sakura pulled herself to her feet, and lied through her teeth with a smile. “Of course, grandfather.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It turns out her grandfather was right. Sakura just wished that lesson hadn't been so harsh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience! I got waylaid trying to sort out online learning and, you know, 2020 in general. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

The river that cut through Team 7’s training ground was an off-shoot of the Naka river, the artery of the village. Like its parent river, this one was deep, and swift-moving. When the Shodai Hokage and Uchiha Madara argued over locations it was the local river system that drew them to the valley Konoha grew from. A valley with fresh waters that always flowed, even during the warmest summer months, and filled the farmlands and paddies reliably every year. That had seen the rise of one of the great hidden villages on its shores. 

And Sakura was standing on it like it was the ground. 

It was exhilarating, being able to go somewhere unconquerable just days before. Ripples lapped at her sandals but not enough to splash her toes with the cool water. Above her the underarch of the bridge muffled the shouting of her two teammates. Distracted. Again. 

She looked down the long stretch of the stone channel of the river, nearly 6 feet deep from the streets above. Designed to withstand the spring flooding, the channels were often overlooked. Forgotten until they performed their annual duties. 

The smart thing to do would be join her teammates on the bridge and wait for Kakashi. Though that could be hours yet. Sakura looked up as Naruto shrieked something about duck-butts and frowned. Or, she could do something more productive. 

Many of the channels were cut in straight lines, formed with creative use of doton jutsu. At the moment, Sakura mused as she turned her attention to the length of the river, it looked an awful lot like a track. She hesitated, one foot pointed towards the stone wall leading back to the bridge, the other towards the straight line of flowing water. 

What had her grandfather said? Practice until it was perfect. Then long enough for it to become a habit. He also told her not to practice without supervision, but Kakashi was nowhere in sight and hadn’t shown even the slightest indication he was going to teach them anything. He might show up at any time, not being consistent in his tardiness. The next smartest thing she could was stay close and the river was right there. 

The first stride was wobbly. Her chakra adapting to the changing current beneath her foot. The second was nearly perfect, requiring only minor adjustments to make the third perfect. Starting out, she kept her pace slow with gentle, smooth strides as she glided over the water. 

By the time she reached the curve in the channel her strides felt fluid, efficient. Like she could go for hours and not be tired. Sakura drifted to a stop, water rippling under her sandals, breathing deeply. Turning back the way she came, the water had already washed away her trail continuing on its path to the heart of the village. She bit her lip. 

How fast could she go?

Sakura set her feet against the water like it was the blocks at the Academy track field. Bracing herself, she counted down. At the unheard one she pushed off as hard as she could, sliding straight into a sweeping gliding motion practiced a thousand times. Skating down the waterway, bent over to cut the air better, pushing as hard as she could with each stride, it was the fastest she had ever gone. 

Trees and buildings sped by as blurs, bridges passing overhead as shadows that briefly blocked the sun. Keeping her breathing regular was a struggle as air whipped past. Her hair was going to be ruined. 

The curve in the culvert came up like a wall. 

With a yelp she scrambled to slow down, tripping and falling towards the water. She slammed against the water, bouncing once then twice then a third time, rapidly slowing down. It wasn’t enough. She hit the stone of the channel wall hard enough to knock the air from her lungs. Instinct protected her head; she ducked her chin to her neck at the last moment as her back slammed into the wall. 

She couldn’t breathe. Everything hurt, her body wasn’t responding to the panicky thoughts racing through her mind. Chakra slipped from her grasp. Her body slid down into the water. The calm-looking river had hidden a strong current: a current that grabbed her and continued on its way heedless of its burden. 

Cold made her gasp. Water filled her mouth. Her throat seized. Her body screamed for air, but the current kept her from the surface. Her arms didn’t respond in the smooth calculated way she wanted, instead flailing with her legs.

Panic eased. Her thoughts crystallized. She was going to die. Twelve seemed young, even by shinobi standards. She hadn’t even managed to leave the village on a mission. Wasn’t going to die in service to the Will of Fire. 

Just a training mishap gone wrong. 

Just a mistake.

Something yanked the back of her qipao hard enough to jerk her from the water. Disoriented, she tried to swing at whoever it was, or clamber over them, but her arm fell short drifting to the ground. Her weak fist hit dirt and she collapsed against it, coughing water out. 

Her first breath of air tasted like the best thing she had ever had. Sweet and clear as she struggled to get her breathing under control. Warmth radiated from a spot on her back, chasing the cold away. A warming jutsu from a hand. Considered D-rank but important enough they spent a week on it in the Academy. She hadn’t even known she had been shivering. 

Coughing once more, breathing settling out into a deep but stable rhythm, Sakura pushed away from the ground, rolling onto her back and sitting up slowly. Her torso twinged with the movement, sore and hurting. Like she was moving a massive bruise. 

The hand returned to between her shoulders, and the warmth came back. “Are you okay?”

Sakura coughed, breathing hard. “I’m- I’m fine.” Her head spun as she opened her eyes, settling down. She was on the riverbank, shaded by one of the trees that made Konoha famous. A higher level training ground maybe? Even the dappled sunlight was bright and she winced as her vision cleared. Turning to thank her rescuer, Sakura rather wished she had been left in the river. 

The Hokage’s normal smile was gone, replaced with a frown. To her knowledge his trademark blond spikes hadn’t changed from his inauguration over a decade ago, though there was a hint of his age to his bright blue eyes. Sakura wilted under them. She squeaked, “Yondaime-sama.” 

He seemed amused and the frown eased into something lighter, “Oh good. You remember who I am.” The blinding smile, the one that was the reason he was considered Konoha’s number one most eligible bachelor according to Ino, returned. “I was worried when you didn’t come up for air.”

“I, uh, had a bit of a training mishap.” Sakura admitted softly, rubbing the back of her neck. It ached with the touch and she winced again. From the bank, the river looked deceptively calm. 

“A training mishap, huh?” He shifted to sit beside her, following her gaze out to the river. “What happened?”

Sakura swallowed hard, hands falling to her lap as she drew her knees to her chest. It wasn’t like she could lie to the Hokage. “I’ve been practicing gliding on water, only I went a little too fast.” She played with the hem of her shorts. “I wasn’t ready for the turn.”

“You’ll just have to be ready for it next time then.” A hand ruffled her hair, scattering wet locks. Sakura blinked. “Are you okay to make it back to town or do you need an escort?”

She shook her head, damp hair slapping and sticking to her face. As elegantly as she could manage, she tucked it back behind her ears. “I’ll be fine. Hokage-sama. I think I’ll walk back though.” 

“Alright then. Better get back before your team starts worrying.” The Yondaime stood up, hand outstretched to pull her up when she accepted it. On her feet, she brushed some of the twigs and dirt off her clothes unsuccessfully. She gave it up for a bad job. “And I should get to my meeting.” 

Nodding, Sakura paused. “Oh. Uh. Thank you. For pulling me out.” 

“I’m glad I was able to help.” The return smile was blinding. No wonder all of Ino’s magazines said it was the best smile in Konoha. “Until next time.” 

He gave a wave, then vanished. One moment he was there and the next he wasn’t. Konoha’s Yellow Flash indeed. Sakura shook her head, staring at the water for a moment. 

It took her nearly an half hour to make it back to the training ground with only a brief pause to get sudden tears under control. A form of shock as her body dealt with the sudden surge of adrenaline. Everything ached. She knew it was common after surviving something that she shouldn’t have walked away from. Wouldn’t have, if it hadn’t been for the Hokage. 

By the time she made it to the bridge, the tears and everything else had dried. Her hair was frizzy probably, but dry. As long as Ino didn’t see, it would be fine. No one had to know that she had come close to dying. 

Sasuke, leaning up against a post, glanced at her when she joined them. “You’re late.” 

“Yeah!” Naruto sat-up from where he was laying out on the grass. “And what did you do to your hair, Sakura-chan? It’s all over the place.” 

Sakura clenched her hands into fists, and put a bright smile on her face. “Oh. I lost track of time and had to rush to get here. I hope I beat Kakashi-sensei at least?” 

~*~*~*~

Her grandfather was by the pond when she arrived on Sunday, sitting on the stone bench under the tallest oak in the backyard, cane beside him. The light blue yukata he wore unruffled as always. Like nothing could faze him. She wasn’t sure there was anything that could. Sakura shuffled to a stop on the path, tea tray in hand. “Grandfather.” 

A red eye cracked open. He humphed softly. “Show me what you’ve learned this week.” 

Sakura set the tray down, pouring a cup for her grandfather before turning to the pond. The water was calm. Wind kissed the surface, rippling it gently. It looked similar to the surface of the river. Too similar, she noted as her heart clenched. 

“Well?” Her grandfather asked over the rim of his tea mug, “What are you waiting for?”

What was she waiting for? She had done this before. Just a week ago. Though she hadn’t been on the water since the incident. Just waited with her team on the bridge, even if she wanted to punt both of them. Kakashi hadn’t said anything about her appearance when he showed up either. 

It was like none of her team had noticed anything was different about her. 

“Sakura.” 

Sakura blinked, “Sorry. I was lost in thought.” She winced almost as soon as she said it, waiting for the reprimand. About how a shinobi had to be present in every moment. Stay aware of their surroundings. 

It didn’t come. 

She didn’t take a step forward onto the water. That calm water. She couldn’t move. 

“Sakura. Come here.” 

Shoulders slumping, Sakura turned. Her grandfather had both eyes open now and he was watching her intently, frowning softly. Oh no. She had disappointed him. Again. She shuffled over. He gestured to the open space beside him on the bench, “Sit. Have some tea.” 

She did as she was told. Settling, tea growing cold in the mug she held on her lap, her gaze kept returning to the water. 

Her grandfather finished his own cup before speaking softly, “What happened?”

Her tea rippled as she swallowed, looking down to her mug, body tensing. “I had a training mishap. I, uh, almost drowned.” He didn’t say anything when she started crying, tears falling into her cup. Didn’t say anything when he took her cup from her and set it to the side or when she drew her knees up onto the bench and huddled against him. He didn't seem to know where to put his arm, eventually delicately resting a hand on her shoulder.

She was a mess. Here she was crying into her grandfather’s yukata like she was a little kid again and had skinned her knee or something. But he didn’t push her away or say anything. 

Only when the tears had dried did she pull back. Not too far. Still sitting closer to her grandfather than she had in years. Sakura wiped her eyes with the back of her hand with a sniff. “Sorry.” 

“It is fine. You were scared.” He handed her mug back to her, tea somehow warm again. Probably a jutsu or something. Maybe a variation on the one the Yondaime used on her. 

“Terrified.” She corrected quietly. “I couldn’t- my body just...” 

Her grandfather hummed. “Tell me from the start.” 

And Sakura did. Carefully looking at her sandals as she explained how she directly disobeyed him. How fast she could go; then the way she had the air knocked out of her. When she finished, her grandfather’s expression was of careful neutrality. 

He poured more tea for both of them. Sipping it carefully while looking out over the water. With a deep sigh, he relaxed, “I am grateful you are okay.” 

Sakura blinked, looking up in surprise. That… wasn’t what she expected him to say. 

“I suppose I am partially to blame.” Her grandfather continued, “This could have been avoided if I had explained better. The reason we train with others is in case of mishaps, like what you have experienced. I have found it’s very difficult to get to a hospital if you are unconscious.” 

A snort left her before Sakura could catch it. Her grandfather ignored it. She sniffed once, “But what about all the shinobi who train by themselves?” 

“Idiots. Some have enough skill to train by themselves, but they often are just reinforcing bad habits.” Her grandfather scoffed. “Even when I was developing techniques, I did so with check-in times. If I missed it, then my sister-in-law or cousin would track me down and hit me with something.

“At this point in your career, you do not have enough experience to know your limits. You need someone with more experience to help you find those limits and work on expanding them.”

Sakura took a sip of her tea in the silence, “So… you’re not mad at me?”

“I wouldn’t say that. You have learned this particular lesson more effectively than anyone could have taught you.” Red eyes regarded her severely. “We are going to work on making turns at speed and then you are going to re-organize my library. All of it.” 

She bit back her groan, shoulders slumping with the news. That was going to take days. “Yes, grandfather.” 

He nodded once. “Tell me, where was your team when this happened?”

“Waiting for Kakashi-sensei.” Sakura finished her tea and set her mug back on the tray. Fingers lingering on the ceramic, “I don’t think they noticed I was gone.”

This time the hum was something harder, more considered, “Your survival in the field will depend on your team.” He tilted his head, shaggy white hair ruffled by the breeze, “Would you like to learn how to make a team work?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It said something about her team that hanging out with her grandfather was the highlight of the week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There. Finally. Made it. Chapter 4 for your consideration. : D

**Roar Little Lion Cub**

**Chapter 4**

Her heart pounded in her chest. Words she had practiced over and over in the mirror raced through her mind. Sweat clung to her palms no matter how much she wiped her hands against her shorts.

Sakura sat on the railing on the bridge and watched as her two teammates tussled in the dirt- one of them slighted over something. It might have been Naruto this time- but Sasuke seemed enraged over something. Looking at the river hadn’t helped and the mock fight provided only minutely more entertainment. She hadn’t bothered to pay too much attention to the fights before, but with unease of her future task lingering in her stomach her mind all but leapt at the chance to focus on something else.

Sasuke’s style, even in a schoolyard scuffle, was as refined as any clan kid’s. He kept his limbs close to himself, and struck only when he was sure to hit. He didn’t protect his legs as much as she expected- instead focusing on his upper-body. His reflexes were good too- better than she realized now that she was able to watch him undistracted- but his body didn’t always seem to keep up with the flinches. Textbook perfect form, her mind informed, with a dash of what might have been the Uchiha’s personal clan style.

In contrast, Naruto’s form was a mess. Sloppy execution compensated for with enthusiasm and endurance. Not a single piece of evidence that he ever paid attention to the taijutsu classes at the academy- Sakura blinked and tuned into the fight more carefully, focused on her blond teammate.

Every time Sasuke got too close to having the upperhand and being able to finish the fight, Naruto would pull a crazy move- something that came dangerously close to sacrificing a limb and turn the tables back on the Uchiha. Unpredictable, she mused, but not without power. Every now and again, there’d be a move so smooth and efficient it must have been practiced even if she didn’t recognize the style.

Then there was the whole thing where Naruto just shrugged off hits that should have staggered him. She wanted to ask him about it- but held off with shrieks of ‘Sakura-chan!’ echoing in her memories. If she made any indication she was paying attention to the blond, he might take it as encouragement.

As the boys finally pulled away from each other, Kakashi appeared. A breeze blew away the smoke of his arrival, revealing the lines of his usual slouch and the bright orange cover of his book.

Like clockwork Naruto, dirt covering his orange jumpsuit, pointed and shouted, “You’re late!”

Sakura could just about parrot Kakashi’s reply, and instead tuned it out. Her nerves returned. She swallowed hard and tried to find her courage. It was only when Kakashi went to move towards the Tower did she jump off of the railing. Right into his path. He arched his one visible eyebrow, though his eye remained focused on his reading. “Yes, Sakura-chan?”

Be direct, she reminded herself. Do not let up. She swallowed hard and gave a bright smile. “When we will be starting our training, Kakashi-sensei?”

His lone eye crinkled up in a smile. “Why Sakura-chan, D-class missions are training.” Then he stepped to the side, eye back on his book.

Her heart thundered in her chest, but fury burned hotter. Sakura stepped in his path again, smile still bright and wide. “But Kakashi-sensei, a good shinobi never misses an opportunity to learn. As you pointed out on our first day, this occupation comes with a casualty rate. We would greatly benefit from your guidance as our jounin-sensei on where we can improve.”

This time when he looked at her, it felt like a weight had been set on her shoulders trying to push her down. Sakura kept her smile in place and pretended it didn’t bother her. That her palms weren’t so sweaty she probably couldn’t grip a kunai properly. That her heart’s thunderous pounding drowned out all her thoughts. That she was just a genin, standing her ground against a jounin. That what she was saying danced with insubordination.

His return smile didn’t seem nice, “Mah, Sakura-chan. Are you doubting your jounin-sensei?”

She shook her head, “Of course not, Kakashi-sensei. Just asking for help with training.” Her jaw ached from this charade.

Kakashi looked back at his book, and suddenly Sakura could breathe again. He ruffled her hair, and moved past her. “Don’t worry so much Sakura-chan. It will give you wrinkles before you’re twenty.”

Fury burned hot and bright; statistics she had looked up on the tip of her tongue- how the death rate while training was highest among genin, that it was the whole reason genin teams were given a jounin in the first place in a tradition instituted by the Nidaime Hokage- dying there when she realized Kakashi was done with this conversation. Dread extinguished her anger: for whatever reason, Kakashi wasn’t going to train them.

He was leaving them unprepared.

Only when Kakashi’s back was to her did she let her smile drop. As the boys went to step past her, their own eyes wide from the exchange, Sakura grabbed both of them by the arm.

Whatever they were going to say was held at bay by her expression. She looked both of them in the eyes, first Naruto, then Sasuke’s no matter how uneasy it made her, and spoke brightly. “We should get lunch together. Today.”

They exchanged a wary look at each other, then nodded.

Sakura smiled again, this time real. “Excellent! Come on, we better catch up with Kakashi-sensei.”

As she let them go to race after the quickly retreating jounin, she could have sworn she heard Naruto say, “Man, Sakura-chan’s really scary sometimes.”

It stung. Hitting the part of her that studied so hard to not only pass, but ace the academy. The part that had to sacrifice a chance to make friends. There had been no celebration with peers when she graduated. Just her, and her father. Her mother had been out of town on a mission and her grandfather- well, he probably just lost track of time reading that day as was his habit.

A small price to pay, she reminded herself even as her eyes felt hot, to make jounin like her mother. She was going to be a kunoichi. A damn good one. Even with a negligent sensei. Even though her mother was too busy to train her. Even with a team that couldn’t function and teammates that would rather kill each other than work together.

Somehow.

~*~*~*~

Lunch was a bust. She hadn’t even managed to explain the problem to her teammates before they were at each other’s throats and not listening to her at all. Ditto for every day of the rest of the week. Tackling the larger problem of Kakashi was useless if she couldn’t even get the two to realize there was a problem _and_ get them working together.

Kakashi was also careful not to give her an opening to pester him. If she hadn’t been paying attention, she might have written off his behaviour as normal. But Sakura figured it wasn’t coincidence that either Naruto or Sasuke were between her and her sensei every single time he showed up.

A vindictive part of her was glad: she, a genin, had rattled a jounin enough to be wary of another conversation. The more rational part argued that it was counterproductive to her end goal: she wanted to practice what she was learning on the weekends and she needed supervision to do it.

Sunday morning she hemmed and hawwed in her room, pacing back and forth trying to find a solution. As far as she could tell, Team 7’s problems were two-fold and interlaced. She couldn’t tackle one without tackling the other.

Sakura took the time from a clock. It was early yet, but she had been told she could go whenever… Mind made up, Sakura took the stairs two at a time down to the kitchen, breezing past her mother making breakfast.

Mebuki leaned away from the counter, coffee mug in one hand, “Sakura? Where are you going?”

“To see grandfather.” She tugged on one sandal, tapping her toe against the tiled entryway. “I’ll be back this afternoon.” Probably. Her grandfather had started playing hide and seek with her in the garden, testing her observation skills, and it had taken her a dismally long time to find him last weekend. Even without using chakra he was nearly impossible to find and he always managed to end up behind her no matter how quiet she was.

“Hold up.” Mebuki set her mug down, hand on her hip as she regarded her daughter, “You don’t normally go see him this early. He might be still asleep.”

Sakura had yet to find evidence he slept. She shrugged, adjusting her other sandal. “He said I could visit him whenever I wanted. And he’s been very helpful.”

“Even if-” Mebuki cut herself off and sighed. “Alright. But if he pushes you too hard, you must tell me. Understand?”

She blinked and looked back at her mother. Worry lined her mother’s expression. “Don’t worry, mom. I can handle whatever he throws at me.”

Her reassurance seemed to have the opposite effect. Mebuki’s frown deepened, almost turning stern. “Just because you are capable of withstanding something does not mean you have to be subjected to it. He can forget that. Do you understand, Sakura?”

There wasn’t anything else she could add. Sakura nodded. Mebuki said nothing else, turning slowly to stare out the kitchen window as Sakura left. If it wasn’t for the fact her mother was a jounin, and jounin were always aware of their surroundings, Sakura might have believed her mother was lost in thought. Or memories. She quietly closed the door behind her.

It was a familiar route to her grandfather’s home deep in one of the large patches of forest within the village walls. The Nara had another patch, as did the Hyuuga and Abruame. She had yet to run into someone else on the forest path in all her visits, but the paved trail remained well-groomed.

Her grandfather opened the door to his house before she was halfway down the path. His brows were furrowed together slightly, as if annoyed, and Sakura slowed to stop on the stones. “You’re early.”

Sakura swallowed hard. Her mother had been right. This had been a bad idea. She smiled, shrinking her shoulders back and took a step back. “I am? My bad. I’ll come back later.”

Her grandfather huffed, furrowed brows unraveling into a more neutral expression. “Don’t bother. You’re here now.” He folded an arm into his yukata and stepped back from the door.

The invitation was plain and Sakura trudged the rest of the way. Her grandfather promptly slid the door shut just as she cleared the threshold. She jumped at the clack behind her.

As she put her sandals at the door, she blinked at the sight of 2 additional pairs. Adult-sized, wider in the foot- male? Possibly. Or very tall women. Her grandfather got visitors? Outside of family?

“I have guests,” He said briskly on his way down the hallway, “if you behave yourself and sit quietly you may join us.”

Her retort that she wasn’t a child anymore died in her throat as the door to the study opened. A shoji board, game in motion, sat in the center of the room. One cushion sat empty- her grandfather’s presumably.

On the other side of the board, a mug of tea in hand with a look of utter concentration, the Yondaime regarded the pieces before him. Adjacent to him, smoking from a long pipe, an elderly man watched on, amused. It took her a moment to put a name to the face, aged and withered as it was. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage.

A weathered hand settled on her shoulder, clasping it firmly. “Saru-kun. Minato-kun. This is my great-granddaughter, Sakura.”

She was a kunoichi. She hailed from a shinobi family. She knew surprises were to be expected in the profession. She absolutely did not yeep or otherwise flinch. Much. Her manners came to her quickly, and she bowed appropriately.

Sarutobi gave her a warm smile, smoke puffing out in a slim stream from his pipe. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-chan.”

The Yondaime glanced up from the board. His grin widened and he straightened in his seat. “Good to see you again.”

She murmured out her responses as her grandfather guided her to the empty cushion beside Sarutobi. He retook his own seat with slow grace. A huff of air left him when finally resettled. Old, she reminded herself, her grandfather was very old.

Silence fell as the two returned to their game. Beside her, Sarutobi smoked his pipe steadily- smoke rising to the ceiling in little rivers. Every now and again he would hum in appreciation at one of the choice moves from the players.

Sakura wasn’t very familiar with the game and the pieces on the board meant little to her. She risked glancing at her fellow audience member when the Yondaime moved one piece that brought a furrow to her grandfather’s wrinkles. One she knew to be his thinking expression normally reserved for the most ancient of scrolls in his collection. Quietly she asked, “Ano, Hokage-sama. Do you know how to play this game?”

“Best call me Sarutobi-san, Sakura-chan. Might get confusing if you start calling me Hokage-sama.” The man chuckled softly. “And yes, I know this game. I taught it to my sons.”

He waited a beat, regarding the board, before softly explaining the different pieces. Every time someone made a move, Sarutobi would pause, hum in consideration, then continue his quiet commentary.

It was... fascinating. Even at the most basic level, there were thousands of strategies a player could employ. Offensive or defensive, calculated misdirections: each player would develop their own style, Sarutobi explained in that patient tone of his. Which is why it was so amusing to see her grandfather play Namikaze: both normally favoured the offensive with subtle, arching overtures, often trying to outflank their opponents. When faced with each other, their playing styles had to be adapted.

Just as her grandfather finished his turn, hands slipping back into his sleeves, he spoke up. “Have you given any consideration to my request?”

Sakura couldn’t get a read on the Yondaime’s expression. Namikaze regarded her grandfather over the hand propping his head up. Blue eyes glanced at her once, then returned to the board. “Sakura-chan. How is everything going with your team?”

“Fine.” She answered quicker than she intended but prevented her hands from clenching. She forced a smile to her face. “Thank you for asking, Yondaime-sama.”

He waved his free hand at her, a grin coming back into place, “Namikaze-san is fine in private, Sakura-chan. I hope watching two old men play a board game isn’t too boring for you.”

“Not at all!” She turned her attention back to the board. Both players seemed equally matched but her grandfather looked to be readying for an upset- if she understood the pieces. “I’ve never seen the game played before.”

“And your training? How is that going?”

Sakura couldn’t lie to her Hokage… “Things have been going well enough. Grandfather has been teaching me new things on the weekend.” It wasn’t really a deception. Just a non-comment on her genin team. And jounin-sensei. “I look forward to his lesson today.”

Her grandfather huffed. “Are you going to make a move, Namikaze? Or are you just going to pester my granddaughter all day?”

“If you would like to race into defeat, I can hurry up.” The Yondaime replied, voice as smooth as butter. Sakura briefly debated warning him about the pincer move her grandfather was setting up, but he probably saw right through it.

Her grandfather opened his mouth to say something, only to pause and look in the direction of the front door. He frowned and scoffed. “He can find his own way in.”

“Messenger?” Sarutobi asked, holding his pipe in one hand.

“Yes. For who though.”

“I’m retired,” Sarutobi said serenely. “And free to enjoy my weekends.”

The Yondaime laughed, though Sakura wasn’t sure if she could call it a happy thing. “I can see why you passed the hat, old man.”

Her grandfather scoffed, “It is a heavy burden. Lost weekends are only some of the private casualties.” He paused, “You’ve worn the hat for nearly a decade and a half, Minato. Perhaps it is time to consider the future.”

Sakura blinked from where she sat, not quite sure what her ears were hearing. She stayed very still and quiet. She needn’t have bothered: none of them were paying any attention to her.

“‘Private casualties.’ What an apt term.” The Yondaime mused, eyes on the board, half-smile still in place. “The position demands much.”

A knock at the study’s door drew their attention from the board. Her grandfather regarded it, looking at the wood like he could see through it, then nodded once. “Come in.”

An Uchiha hovered in the doorway, chunin vest on. Spiky black hair, distinct to his clan, was held in place by his headband while a short tanto was strapped to his back. He bowed at the waist. “I’m sorry to disturb you. Yondaime-sama, you are needed at the Tower.”

“Thank you, Shisui.” The Yondaime stood up smoothly and turned to her grandfather, “I hope you’ll forgive me. We’ll have to finish our game another time.”

Her grandfather nodded. “Of course.”

The current Hokage moved to the door, pausing just before the hallway, to call back over his shoulder, “I’m granting your request.”

Her grandfather paused in sipping his tea, then nodded.

Not long after the Yondaime left, Sarutobi pulled himself to his feet and departed with, “It is time for me to go see my own family. My wife wants me to help with lunch.”

Sakura waved to the friendly old man, watching his eyes crinkle as he smiled. He shuffled on his way out. Whether the slow amble was an act or not, she wasn’t sure.

Her grandfather gathered the pieces of the game with a deliberate slowness, cleaning the board almost with reverence. She fidgeted for a moment, “Ano, grandfather, can you teach me how to play?”

Her grandfather tilted his head to regard her from the corner of his eye. “That last time I tried to teach you how to play you threw the pieces at me.”

Sakura flushed as red as her shirt. “I don’t remember that!”

“You were three and a very good shot. I’m sure Mebuki has the photo somewhere.”

“Grandfather!”

He smiled. It was a tiny thing. Barely more than a quirk of his lips. He nodded to the seat across from him, “Come then.”

Sakura hurried over and sat as smoothly as she could manage. Her grandfather replaced the pieces one at a time, explaining each as he went. It was a slow, halting game at first. Her memory kicked in, and the speed picked up. Moves started coming easier. It was… fun. Like a puzzle. One with changing conditions.

Her grandfather was hard to predict. Almost every move he made was a distraction- until it wasn’t and he had her neatly cornered. He hummed softly, “You came early today.”

“Yeah,” Sakura said offhandedly, trying to find a way out of the trap on the board, “I tried to ask Kakashi-sensei about training directly like you said and he brushed me off.”

Her grandfather scoffed quietly. “Don’t worry about him then. What of your teammates?”

“Hard to get through to. They are always picking fights with each other.”

“Difficult, but not surprising. Uchiha and Uzumaki are both hot-headed clans. You need more time facing a threat greater than any one of you alone.”

Sakura frowned, and shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean?”

Her grandfather took a sip of his tea. “Do you concede?”

She looked at the board. No options leapt out at her. He was just picking her pieces off, one at a time. Quietly, head bowed to look at the board, Sakura said, “Yeah.”

A hand ruffled her hair, sending pink locks everywhere. “You did well. You will be a difficult opponent in the future.”

“Not well enough,” she muttered, risking a look up.

Her grandfather was amused. She could tell by the crinkle around his eyes. “In the field, you will be called on to make decisions. Decisions you’d rather not have to make. Better you learn how to make them here, on the board, than out there.” He stood up, leaning heavily on his cane as he straightened. “Come. I want to see your water walking again. No ripples this time.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wednesday was a weird day to be visiting her grandfather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was like pulling teeth. I'm so ready for this year to be over. XD
> 
> In other news, I have a very good idea where the next two to four chapters will go so hopefully it won't take as long to write. : D

**Roar Little Lion Cub**

**Chapter 5**

She hadn’t really noticed where Kakashi was leading their team. Per routine, they had been late to the Tower and received the last mission available from a smiling Hokage. A gardening job pulling weeds for an elderly widow, the Yondaime explained, a D-rank mission. 

Naruto and Sasuke were fighting. Again. This time over which was better, ramen or barbecue. It hadn’t come to blows yet but there was a twitch to Sasuke’s shoulders and Naruto kept shooting dirty looks at his teammate. They kept speeding up their pace, trying to outdo the other, and would have run all the way to the client's house if it hadn’t been for Kakashi calling them back. 

Their jounin sensei still kept his distance. Every time she moved to approach him, almost by magic, Kakashi appeared on the other side the boys.

It was only when they turned from the well-kept streets of a residential area to a familiar trail on the outskirts of the village that Sakura realized where they were. She stopped. “Ano, Kakashi-sensei, are you sure this is the right way?”

The jounin regarded her with a lazy eye and gave a slow drawl. “Yes, Sakura.” 

Heat bloomed on the tips of her ears. Her mouth slammed shut on her follow-up question. Even as the trees thickened, growing taller and bigger in this part of the forest, and they passed the only other house on this path. There was no paved path, just a compacted dirt path she used to run up and down when she was younger. Tree branches arched overhead, thicker than an adult’s waist. One of the oldest parts of Konoha and still untouched by the post-war development. 

Her grandfather’s bungalow was exactly as she left it on Sunday. In the early afternoon sun, the shadows of towering oaks rippled over the gardens and house. Sakura shifted on her feet, “Is this the place?”

“Yes, Sakura.” 

She scowled at the dismissive tone. Subordinates having questions for their superior officer was nothing new. There was no reason for Kakashi to get snippy about it. If he noticed her darkening mood, he did say anything. For a brief moment, she considered warning him about her grandfather's attitude towards unwanted visitors. That he had a talent for traps and wards. The moment passed.

To her disappointment, her grandfather must have disabled his wards for whatever genin team took this mission: the jounin opened the gate without getting a shock. Before Kakashi made it halfway down the path, Naruto and Sasuke fighting over who would go first and crowding the gateway, the front door slid open. 

At the back, watching her sensei so intently, it was impossible for Sakura to miss the way he froze. Just for a half-second. Just enough for his step to be off. Kakashi was surprised.

She raised her gaze to her grandfather, frowning softly. He had dressed in his usual yukata, cane at his side, and expression severe as always. Shaggy white hair and wrinkled face showing only a part of his age. His eyes though were as sharp as always. He regarded Team 7 coldly, so cold that Naruto and Sasuke stopped shoving at each other. “You are late.”

Kakashi straightened from his slouch and, to Sakura's surprise, said, “Our apologies. Thank you for your patience.”

Naruto gaped like a fish. Whatever he was going to say was cut off by Sasuke’s elbow in his gut and he wheezed. Sakura ignored them. She narrowed her eyes, analyzing the situation. High up, her mother had said. How high was never specified, now that she thought about it. Her grandfather had been a shinobi- but she had never asked what rank he held. She’d have to look into it later. 

Her grandfather regarded each of her team individually. Sasuke visibly flinched under the cool gaze; Naruto shrunk back. When he got to her, Sakura set her shoulders and stared back just as fierce. This was her team, such as they were, and her grandfather would not cow her in front of them. After a moment, he nodded once. He scoffed, “Genin. Weed the back garden. You, jounin-san, will join me for tea.” 

She frowned at the lack of acknowledgement. Why would... her gaze flickered to Kakashi's back. A smile tugged at her lips. Underneath the underneath alright. They could flank her useless jounin-sensei without him ever knowing they were related. This mission could be fun.

“Mah-” Kakashi began, still wary and not approaching closer. “That is very generous, Senju-sama, but I wouldn’t want to impose.” 

Sakura mentally winced as he said it, knowing what was coming. Her grandfather narrowed his eyes, voice as cold as ice, “I insist.” 

Her sensei hesitated, then relaxed as he tried to brush it off. “Well, if you insist-”

“I do.” 

Sakura kept her smirk from showing. Barely. It was more fun watching her grandfather toy with his guest than it was being the one under scrutiny. Kakashi took a moment to rally, but her grandfather had already moved on, glancing at her team. “Well? Why aren’t you moving?”

Naruto sputtered, “Oi! No need to be rude you old ge-” 

Sakura slapped her hand over his mouth hard enough to stagger the blond, smiling brightly, “Of course. We’ll get started immediately.” Keeping her grip on her teammate, she dragged him around the house to the backyard. Once around the corner, she hissed in his ear, “You can’t say that to a client, _Naruto._ ”

Letting him go, ducking his flailing arms, Sakura made her way to garden paths she knew like the back of her hands. She doubted there were any weeds to be found in the garden-

She blinked. 

Her grandfather’s immaculate garden, pristine when she left on Sunday, was nearly overrun with grass. There were hours of work to be done. At least the rest of the afternoon. Beside her, Naruto groaned. “Oh man. This is going to take forever!”

“It’ll take longer if you don’t shut up, dobe.” Sasuke scowled, eyeing the task. He humphed and moved down a path to get started. With a sigh, Sakura followed suit, Naruto grumbling behind her. They set to work. 

It didn’t last long before Naruto was speaking up, “Hey guys? Do either of you know what this is?”

Sakura held in her sigh as she stood and came round. From the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of the veranda of her grandfather’s study. Her grandfather and Kakashi had settled there, teapot between them. She couldn't tell if they were talking. “Know what ‘what’ is?”

Her teammate was looking at a rock, tilting his head this way and that. “This thing.”

“It’s a rock.” Sasuke added helpfully as he came down the other side of the path. 

“I know that, bastard!” Naruto gestured more forcefully, “I mean the scribbles on it.”

Dread settled in her stomach. Sakura pushed forward, “Scribbles? Let me see.” 

It was a tiny rock, no bigger than her thumb. That Naruto had even seen it was impressive. The delicate loops and curves over its smooth surface were familiar. Her grandfather’s handwriting. Sakura wasn’t old enough to learn much about that field of study yet, but she had seen her grandfather study the topic often enough to recognize it for it was. “That’s a seal.”

“A seal?” Naruto squinted at it. “It’s really tiny. And those markings... I’ve seen those before. But you need to put chakra into it to do anything.” Before Sakura could stop Naruto, he poked the rock. Everything blurred violently, colours turning to white as the ground fell behind and she felt a strange sensation of freezing cold that lasted only a moment before it was over. Her stomach rebelled and when she felt solid ground beneath her, Sakura fell to her knees and threw up. 

Spitting out as much of the sick as she could, she coughed hard. Someone was shouting beside her. No. Fighting. Naruto. Sasuke. With a groan, she staggered to her feet. 

Her teammates were fighting, wrestling in the dirt that definitely was not in her grandfather’s yard. Sasuke was shouting. She had never heard him shout before. “You moron! Didn’t you learn anything in the academy?!”

“Hey! Shut up! I’ve seen that seal before and it wasn’t supposed to do anything without Chakra!” 

“You stupid-”

Sakura growled. Marching over to her teammates, she gripped the back of Sasuke’s shirt, right over that ugly fan, and yanked as hard as she could. The drills she had been subjected to each weekend apparently worked and the Uchiha was pulled off. Naruto tried to follow him up, but Sakura stuck her other hand out and gripped the front of his stupid orange jumpsuit. “Enough! Both of you!”

Her teammates blinked, dirt smeared across their cheeks and clothes. Sasuke recovered first, “You saw that idiot-” She shook him once. He stopped talking. 

Naruto opened his mouth to say something but shut it when Sakura glared at him. 

She held them for a moment longer, arms beginning to shake from the strain. “I’m going to let both of you go. If you lunge at each other again, I'll... I'll kick you where the sun doesn't shine! Understood?” They stared mulishly at each other. Sakura growled. “I said, _understood_?”

The two boys looked away from each other. “Fine.”

With a sigh, she dropped Sasuke and pushed Naruto back on his butt. Looking around, unease filled her. Gigantic trees, twice as big as the ones around her grandfather’s home, stood like pillars in a jungle of strange plants and vines. The canopy was thick and high above, taller than the Hokage’s Tower even, blocking any chance of true sunlight. 

Sakura swallowed hard, looking at her team. The boys kept looking around, anger replaced with something else as they realized the same thing she did. 

“Hey,” Naruto began with a weak chuckle, “Does anyone know where we are?”

**Author's Note:**

> Come say 'hi' on [ Tumblr!](https://basicallyanidiot.tumblr.com/)


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